Hearts and Butterflies
by umbreon88
Summary: Death the Kid has to give a Valentine's Day gift to someone OTHER than his partners, and when a butterfly shows up, Kid finds possibly the best thing in his life in the least-likely of places. A DTKxReader Insert for Valentine's Day.


"Oh, come on, Kid. Giving someone a Valentine's gift isn't rocket science." Liz drawled.

Death the Kid, son of Lord Death and Grim Reaper-in-the-making, was standing in the courtyard with his weapons Liz and Patty Thompson like they always did when they attended the DWMA. Only this time, it wasn't just any normal school day; it was Valentine's Day. The gang had decided it would be fun to give a gift to any person of his or her choosing, EXCEPT his or her partners. This meant Kid couldn't just give a gift to both Liz and Patty. He could pick only ONE person, not two. He could only give ONE present.

In other words, the exchange itself was asymmetrical.

"IT'S NOT FAIR! WHY ONLY ONE PERSON!? WHY ONLY ONE!?" he wailed, clearly distraught. He fell to his knees and began to pound his fist on the ground, nearly crushing the box that contained the small chocolate candy he was supposed to give away. Liz rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose while Patty just laughed at Kid's humorous display of misery.

"You are making this needlessly complicated, and you're going to ruin the chocolate if you keep that up." Liz sighed in frustration. Kid's head snapped up; he glared at her.

"If I can't give gifts to TWO people, then I must give it to someone ABSOLUTELY PERFECT TO COMPENSATE FOR IT!" He exclaimed stubbornly, grabbing the candy box and flailing it around. Patty giggled.

"Gee, Kid. A perfect person? That's going to be one tough girl to find!" she teased. The fire in Kid's eyes died out almost instantly as he slumped over.

"Don't remind me." He groaned. Liz shook her head and tugged Kid upwards by his shirt collar, setting him back on his feet. Kid dusted himself off with one hand, hoping his suit hadn't gotten too dirty. And that he hadn't ruined the perfectly symmetrical heart-shaped chocolate. That would be absolutely horrible.

It was then that a small flash of color caught his attention. He turned his head to the source, and stared.

Fluttering in the breeze was a monarch butterfly, floating in the air in a carefree manner. Kid's mood improved drastically as he watched the pretty little insect. He grinned.

"Liz! Patty! Look! Isn't it beautiful?" he rambled. Liz and Patty stared at him in confusion until they saw what he was looking at.

"…Whatever masculinity I thought you had just disappeared." Liz muttered. Patty clapped her hands.

"Pretty~!" she cooed. Suddenly, the monarch started flying away, much to Kid's chagrin.

"NO! Wait! Come back, my symmetrical little wonder!" he cried out, chasing after it.

"Kid!?" Liz exclaimed, running after him, with Patty right behind.

As it turns out, trying to catch a butterfly without a net was quite difficult. The thing would zigzag back and forth, double back, and float just out of reach unexpectedly. Its erratic maneuvers made it nearly impossible to tell where it was. Further through the courtyard it flew, with a reaper boy and two twin sisters in tow.

"Is this a butterfly or an airplane?" Liz wheezed. But Kid didn't care.

"Just look at it! Such striking patterns and stark contrast in its colors and yet exactly the same on each wing! Not a single tear on the edges! Perfectly intact in every way! It's truly marvelous~!" he gushed on, too determined to catch the insect to listen to Liz's complaints or see where the butterfly was leading them.

All too soon, the butterfly disappeared behind a row of hedges. Kid cried in anguish as he stopped, looking left and right in desperation.

"Nooo! Where are you hiding, my little miracle of symmetry? Come out!"

Liz and Patty slowed to a stop behind him, panting.

"Finally! *pant* I thought we'd *wheeze* never stop running…*gasp*" said Liz, obviously tired. Patty nodded pathetically. Kid's face turned serious.

"We're going to find it." He stated adamantly, clenching a fist for emphasis as his eyes glinted. Liz groaned.

"All this trouble for a stupid bug."

* * *

It was about ten minutes later that Kid managed to find an opening in the hedge. He turned to Liz and Patty.

"We can get through here." He informed them. They nodded. Putting one foot through, Kid slowly worked his way through the branches and found himself standing on the other side. Liz and Patty followed suit. Kid's eyes scanned the surrounding area before they snapped to a patch of flowers, where the butterfly was resting.

"FOUND YOU~!"He cried joyfully. One could have sworn they heard a tiny "EEP!" coming from the insect as he dove for it. Obviously the butterfly flew away to avoid him, and Kid slid across the grass, scrambling to get back up. Ignoring the dirt that stuck to his black suit, Kid continued his pursuit. But by now, he was beginning to feel exhausted, and was having a hard time keeping track of the butterfly's movements.

All of a sudden, the Monarch started slowing down, and Kid went into overdrive as he surged forward. He noticed the clearing up a head.

_If it reaches that open space, I'll never catch it!_ He thought. _I have to get it NOW!_

They were almost at the clearing.

_No time left!_

He leapt forward, hands outstretched, the butterfly's wings tickling his palms. Kid could feel his heartbeat pounding in his ears as everything seemed to move in slow motion.

_Al…most…!_ He grunted mentally. His fingers started closing around his target. _Almost!_

Gravity, however, began to tug him back down, and Kid's eyes widened when his hand caught nothing but empty air.

_NO!_

His feet met the ground again. The butterfly soared into the clearing as Kid stumbled. Kid followed it out of sheer desperation. He knew they were still somewhere on school grounds, but he had lost track of where they had gone. Hopefully they could find their way back, so he could curl up in a corner somewhere and cry.

Imagine Kid's joy when he saw the butterfly floating gently towards the single oak tree that grew in the center of the clearing, which wasn't as open as he thought. This time he stood still, watching it gracefully flutter down and perch itself on something.

Or rather, someone.

A person was sitting at the tree's base, right in the middle, leaning against it in content as he/she balanced a sketch pad on his/her lap. The butterfly landed right on the spirals that held the sketch pad together, and the person in question looked at it in mild surprise.

Kid stared.

It was a girl.

A very pretty one.

Sitting symmetrically in the middle of the tree trunk that stood in the center of the clearing with the symmetrical butterfly right there on the center of her sketchpad.

Kid nearly passed out right there when the girl smiled at the little insect.

_S-s-sweet holy symmetry! _He stuttered in his head. Yes, that's right. He stuttered in his THOUGHTS he was so shaken up.

The girl looked back down at her sketch pad and flipped the page. The butterfly flew upward to avoid being covered in paper, and then drifted back down to resume its place. Then she set to work, pencil scribbling furiously across the paper. She was totally unaware someone was watching her.

Kid bit his lip. Such symmetry deserved to be praised, but on the other hand, he couldn't move. His nerves were too fried. A breeze blew by.

Suddenly, something covered his face, and in his surprise he yelped. He couldn't see!

The girl's head shot up at the sound, then she noticed the sketch she had been working on was gone, and she frantically looked around for the missing paper. Her (eye color) eyes found someone flailing about, a piece of paper stuck to his face. Setting her sketchpad to the side, the girl rushed over and snatched the paper off the poor guy's face. He gasped for breath, which stilled when he recognized the person standing in front of him.

Now that she was standing right there, he could make out all her features: (hair length), (hair color) hair that parted equally on each side, (eye color) eyes, and slender hands that grasped what must've been the object blocking his vision- a piece of paper. She wore a (favorite color) and white striped long-sleeve sweater and a pink skirt over black leggings, along with grey boots and a white infinity scarf around her neck. She blinked, obviously waiting for him to say something.

Kid turned red.

"I, uh, I…" he began, groping blindly for words. She said nothing. The reaper boy cleared his throat. "Sorry for startling you. I was just out for a walk *_lie*_ and came across this place by accident *_semi-truth* _." he explained. The girl nodded in understanding, and then turned around and headed for her spot under the oak tree. In a mild panic, he followed. The butterfly fluttered in greeting as the girl sat down again and placed the sketchpad back in her lap. Kid remained standing, hands in his pockets. His fingers brushed against something inside, and Kid instantly remembered about the Valentine's Day gift.

_***flashback***_

"_If I can't give gifts to TWO people, then I must give it to someone ABSOLUTELY PERFECT TO COMPENSATE FOR IT!" He exclaimed stubbornly, grabbing the candy box and flailing it around. Patty giggled._

"_Gee, Kid. A perfect person? That's going to be one tough girl to find!" she teased._

_***end of flashback***_

The thought made him go pink. This girl was VERY symmetrical as far as he was concerned, and where symmetry was concerned, Kid was the best judge. And to Kid, symmetry=perfect. Ergo, this girl was perfect.

He snapped out of his reverie to watch her continue drawing…whatever it was. He leaned in to get a better view. She glanced up at him from her work, with a look in her eyes saying: "Can I help you?"

Trying not to get flustered again, Kid just sat down in front of her and crossed his legs.

"…I don't think I caught your name." he said slowly. She smiled and cocked an eyebrow and held up a small notebook. Written on it were the words:

_I never said it._

He blushed tenfold.

She smiled an even bigger smile. She flipped the notebook back towards her and wrote more words.

_I never said I wouldn't tell you, silly! It's (First Name) (Last Name). Nice to meet you…_

She gestured towards him, and he sat up straight and fixed the skull on his shirt collar.

"Ah yes. How rude of me. I am Lord Death's son, Death the Kid. I attend class at the DWMA." He said formally. (Name)'s eyebrows shot up at the mention of Lord Death, but other than that her expression remained politely neutral.

"So, do you go to the DWMA?" he asked. She nodded, and Kid's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't talk much do you?"

(Name)'s eyebrows furrowed as well, and that's when Kid began to panic.

_Crap! What the hell am I thinking?! What if she CAN'T talk due to some disability!? _He berated himself.

"I'M SORRY! THAT WAS TERRIBLY RUDE! FORGIVE MEEEEE!" Kid wailed. He curled up into a ball and proceeded to beat the ground into submission with his fist.

_I'M SUCH AN INSENSITIVE, DIRTY PIG! INSULTING THE VERY PERSONIFICATION OF SYMMETRY! I SHOULD DIE!_

(Name)'s shoulders shook as if she were laughing, even though she made no sound. After a few seconds of watching Kid's mental breakdown, she hesitantly tapped the top of his head. His head snapped up, tears pricking the corners of his golden eyes.

She held up her notebook.

_It's OK. I just had my tonsils removed _( – ^ –lll)_. It hurts to talk. _

He blinked at her as she stuck her tongue out in an irritated expression… one that said "Bleh."

He sat back up and cleared his throat, fiddling with the rings on his fingers.

"Oh. That sounds dreadful." He said carefully. (Name) nodded, but not without a smile. She wrote more words onto the notebook.

_It is. May you never have to experience it as long as you live._

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. (Name) continued to write.

_Anyways, I'm sorry about that flyaway paper._

He thought for a minute, then remembered the piece of paper that had stuck to his face earlier.

"Oh, that? It's no trouble. Don't worry about it." He assured. Then he processed what she had just said.

"Pardon me, but could I see what you were working on before I got here?"

(Name) stared at him, and Kid could feel his cheeks turn pink.

"I-if you don't want to, that's fine. Forget I a-"

All of a sudden, (Name) plopped the sketchpad in his lap. Kid grunted in surprise. He looked at her in confusion and saw that (Name)'s face looked a tad red. She scribbled furiously in the notebook.

_It's OK. You can look._

Kid gulped. Obviously (Name) didn't show this to very many people, and the fact that he, a total stranger, was allowed to look gave him butterflies in his stomach.

He looked down at the sketchbook and stared.

On one page was a perfect replica of the DWMA, and on the page underneath was a picture of the butterfly he had been chasing earlier perched perfectly on the spiral spine of the sketchbook itself. Both pictures looked startlingly close to the real thing. Kid's jaw dropped.

"These are amazing!" he exclaimed. (Name) turned redder and began to hide her face behind her infinity scarf.

Kid would've gawked some more if it hadn't been for the school bell ringing in the distance. He got up and brushed off his pants, and then extended his hand to (Name).

"We should head back to class, don't you think?" he asked her.

(Name) nodded and took his hand. The moment she did Kid nearly melted in giddiness. He pulled her up to her feet. Then Kid grunted as he remembered something; he dug in to his pocket and pulled out the box of chocolate candy. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't damaged.

"Here. My friends thought it would be cool to give Valentine's Day candy to someone new this year. I'd like for you to have this."

(Name) blinked, but took the candy and nodded in thanks. He smiled back.

"Well then…let's head back." He said, turning around and starting to walk back, with (Name) trailing along beside him. Kid looked up in surprise to see a Monarch butterfly flutter slowly past him, lazily floating in the air at eye level. He smiled.

_Thank the heavens for making you symmetrical._ Kid thought contently. _And thank you, my friend._

* * *

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*extended ending*

~later that day~

Kid sat at his desk, barely listening to a word Stein was saying. After all, the lesson was on dissections, (again,) and he really didn't care much about it. He would much rather be conversing with (Name). Patty yawned from her seat at Kid's left, and Liz groaned at his right. Resting her chin in one hand, she lazily glanced over at him.

"So Kid, you give that candy to anyone yet or what?" she asked, a mixture of boredom and curiosity quite evident in her voice. Kid blinked, and proceeded to turn pink as his head sunk lower on his shoulders like a turtle retreating into its shell.

"Maybe…why do you want to know?" he muttered. Liz raised an eyebrow.

"So you did." She drawled. Kid slumped over a tad in embarrassment.

"Who?" Liz asked. Before Kid could answer, Patty poked him in the cheek. He scowled in her direction, preparing to tell her to knock it off, but when she handed him a piece of paper he stopped.

"Soul told me to pass this to you. It's from that girl waaaay over there, I think." She chirped, pointing toward the opposite side of the long row of desks. Kid followed her finger and saw (Name) writing something down. She looked up and, when she saw Kid was looking at her, smiled. She held up what she was writing.

_I felt bad that I didn't give you anything, so I did as best I could to repay the favor._

Kid blinked and looked down at the paper. To his amazement it was a heart with a Monarch butterfly sitting perfectly inside the middle with its wings unfurled. Underneath was a small version of his father's mask on top of a banner with the words _To Death the Kid _written in absolutely beautiful handwriting. Kid looked back up at her with amazement, and nearly melted again at the expression on her face.

(Name), was smiling, with the tiniest tinge of pink dusting her cheeks, as she flipped the notepad over to the next page, which, in more gorgeous handwriting, said:

_Happy Valentine's Day, Kid._

* * *

THE END


End file.
